Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
13 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 521892 · MC-437573
V & L BAUER LLC
13 power unitsavg 9.3 yrRegional · 7 statesPATON, IA
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-437573 ACTIVERATED CONDITIONAL
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
13Power units
8 observed · MCS-150
9Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
9.3Avg age (yr)
1999–2024 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-13
Review before loading
Operating, but with flags a broker should weigh before tendering freight.
Active operating authorityInsurance on fileVehicle out-of-service rate well above average
Watch · 2
Operating authority3333 yr active
since 1993Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo50.050.0 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal00
1 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
9.3 yr
Model years 1999–2024 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
33 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1993 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is V & L BAUER LLC safe to work with?
Is V & L BAUER LLC safe to load? V & L BAUER LLC (USDOT 521892, MC-437573) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in PATON, IA, operating 13 power units and 11 drivers. Operating authority has been active 33 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 23 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 50.0% (above the 22.26% national average), with 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Conditional. Vektor rates it review before loading (80/100), with the leading concern: vehicle out-of-service rate well above average. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
V&V & L BAUER LLC 80
01
Safety
23 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 50.0% (24-mo)6 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)13 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
33.3% now▲ Worsening
Inspection coverage· expected vs observed · the fraud signal
Inspection coverage
How heavily FMCSA inspects this fleet for its size — it tells you how much to trust the safety signals above. Thin coverage on a young authority is a fraud signal nobody else surfaces.
Under-inspected
Expected
Well-monitored
Heavily inspected
≈0.5 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Roadside-inspection volume is about what you'd expect for a 13-unit fleet — enough signal to read the safety record, though not a heavy sample.
- Registered power units
- 13
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 13
- Annualized
- ≈7 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.5 inspections / unit · yr
Violation themes· decoded · grouped by BASIC
What this carrier actually gets cited for — FMCSA violation codes decoded into plain English, ranked by frequency.
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving10
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance3 · 2 OOS
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance2 · 1 OOS
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance2 · 2 OOS
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance2
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance1
- 393.81 HornVehicle Maintenance1
- 177.834 Other violationOther1 · 1 OOS
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance1
- 392.16 Failure to use seat beltUnsafe Driving1
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- None
- Contract
- Active
- Broker
- None
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoFiled with FMCSA
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$750k BIPD · 3 insurers · 0 lapsesContinuous
Northland · 02–08
Maxum · 08–10
Nationwide Comp · 10–15
20022015
No BIPD policy is currently in force in the filing history. The authority record may still list one on file — request a COI to confirm current coverage.
3 insurer eras · collapsed from 7 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONWIDE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMP | Jun 2010 → May 2015 | $750k | 4 |
| MAXUM CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 2008 → Jul 2010 | $750k | 2 |
| NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 2002 → Jun 2008 | $750k | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 13
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 8
- Trailers (towed)
- 9
Capacity is power units only — trailers are towed equipment and are never summed into a fleet-size figure.
Fleet age· model years · decoded VINs
Average age
2024
Newest model yr
1999
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 7 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusRegional
revealedStates observed77
US statesInspections · 24 mo1313
IA busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
PATON, IA
Top corridor
IA
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
No shared-VIN flow in the last 12 months
None of this carrier's trucks were inspected under another USDOT in the last 12 months — any shared equipment is historical, not active.
Show all-time history (3 trucks · 3 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 719279USDOT 3654154USDOT 773004
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)1313
Observed (24 mo)88
Shared w/ other carriers33
Registered capacity materially exceeds what is observed roadside — the MCS-150 may be stale or the fleet under-utilized.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 507 S WISE ST, PATON, IA, 50217-0224
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 224, PATON, IA, 50217-0224
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (515) 968-4179
- Cell
- (515) 370-2293
- Web domain
- bauerbuiltmfg.com
Registration
- Officers
- Vaughn L Bauer · Angela Walker
- USDOT / docket
- 521892 · MC-437573
- First registered
- 05/04/1993
- Last MCS-150
- 02/04/2025 · 846,885 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Conditional · 10/01/2008
- D-U-N-S
- —
Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)
07
Federal activity
Daily-captured FMCSA licensing & insurance changes — monitored by Vektor
Federal record activity· monitored daily by Vektor
No licensing or insurance changes captured since Vektor began monitoring this carrier (June 2026). Quiet is usually good.
08
Reviews
Verified broker, shipper & driver reviews — moderated
Performance ratings only — never the Vektor risk score
No verified reviews yet
Be the first broker or shipper to rate V & L BAUER LLC. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is V & L BAUER LLC's USDOT number?
V & L BAUER LLC's USDOT number is 521892, and its motor carrier number is MC-437573.
Is V & L BAUER LLC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, V & L BAUER LLC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is V & L BAUER LLC's safety record?
V & L BAUER LLC has a 50.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 23 roadside inspections, with 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Conditional" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 80/100 (tier: review).
How big is V & L BAUER LLC's fleet?
V & L BAUER LLC operates 13 power units and 11 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is V & L BAUER LLC based?
V & L BAUER LLC is based in PATON, IA, with roadside inspections recorded across 7 states.